Mated
by eskimita
Summary: On Harry Potter's 16th birthday, Remus Lupin gained the one thing he had always wanted, a mate.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I'm neither British nor blonde, nor did I create the Magical World of Harry Potter. Monetary profit is not being made from this piece of fanfiction.**

**This story is SLASH, which means relations of a sexual nature between two scrumdiddlyumptious men. If you dislike slash, walk away very slowly.**

**This story is dedicated to Child of Dreams, who was the first to notice when I took it down more than a year ago. I hope you enjoy it, love.**

**There are already several chapters of this story written, and they will be posted as they are edited and fluffed out.**

The streets of Surrey were quiet, only the sounds of stray cats searching through trash cans ringing through the air. All respectable members of the neighborhood were asleep in their beds, resting from their long day of work and socializing. The late July sky was cloudy, the air heavy with summer heat, the mugginess made breathing nearly impossible. Every window on Privet Drive was open, save one, in hopes that a cool breeze would save the inhabitants from sweltering to death. Behind the closed window, one person was focused on anything but the temperature outside.

Harry James Potter was curled up in a ball staring at the broken clock he had rescued from the Dursley's garbage can. It read 11:53. _Only 7 more minutes and I'll be 16. Maybe this year will be different. Maybe I'll finally get to live with Siri._ He groaned as his leg twitched, stretching out a freshly opened wound. Careful not to make too much noise, he adjusted slowly, taking note of the cuts and bruises that now littered his body. This evening's beating had been a doozy, adding more injuries to his already battered body.

There were cuts down each of his legs; bruises on his arse, and a brand new wound that he was pretty sure read Poof on his back. They were bleeding sluggishly, the blood only slowed by the torn up shirt he had carefully wrapped around each wound. The split lip and black eye that Dudley had given him were negligible compared to the beating that Uncle Vernon had gifted him with. Harry hadn't even done anything to earn a beating, not that he ever did. It was all the Dursley's way of overreacting about an innocent picture.

The picture was innocuous enough, if no one paid attention to the fact that the people in the picture were moving. Harry reached one arm out and grabbed it from his dresser. Staring at it with his one good eye, he smiled slightly. Looking back up at him was Sirius; one arm firmly locked around a 15 year old Harry's neck as the other hand messed up his hair. Harry traced one finger down the side of Siri's face, sighing quietly. He missed his Godfather. The picture had been taken at Christmas last year, one of the happiest days of Harry's life.

A knock at the window broke Harry out of his musings. He slowly got up and opened the window, stepping back so that Hedwig and Pig could fly in, packages and letters firmly attached to their legs. As quietly as he could, Harry untied the packages from the owls and gave each an owl treat and a quick pet. The packages were put aside to wait for the next day when Harry would have the clarity to process what his friends had written in their letters. He looked back at the clock just as it switched from 11:59 to 12:00. Sighing deeply, he muttered, "Happy Birthday to me," before staring out at the full moon.

Somewhere out there, Moony and Padfoot were running together, enjoying the light of the full moon and the warmth of the night. He wished he could join them, chase them and join in their games. Just a few months ago, with the help of Professor McGonagall, he had finally perfected his Animagus form and he was dying to show it off to Sirius and Remus. Just the thought of running with them made him smile a little. Running with Moony and Padfoot would feel like being with his family, it would feel like home and that was what Harry wanted more than anything in the world.

As he settled back down onto his bed for the night, careful of his wounds, he could've sworn he heard a wolf howl somewhere nearby.

Harry fell asleep with a smile and a whispered, "Moony."

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><p>Just a few miles away, in a magical wood created for his safety, Remus ran with his pack mate and lover, chasing the dog under the light of the full moon. He could feel Moony clawing at the back of his mind, attempting to take control and take advantage of the full moon, but the Wolfsbane gave him the strength to fight back, to keep his mind under his own control. The wind changed and a whole new array of scents assaulted his sensitive nose, throwing Remus off for a moment. The wolf managed to gain control through the potion that bogged him down, as he picked up a new scent on the wind. His mate. For the first time in Moony's life, he'd finally found his mate. He knew that his human, Remus, had fooled himself into believing that the dog running alongside them was his mate, but Moony couldn't be fooled. The dog smelled appealing, yes, but not nearly as much as this new scent. The dog was his pack mate, his beta and friend. This new scent was far more appealing than the dog. It was heaven to him, a heady mixture of ginger and spice, laced with an overall scent of innocence that made Moony pant lustfully. He let out a triumphant howl before running towards the tantalizing smell, ignoring the bark of the dog behind him as he left the safety of the wood.<p>

He ran for the civilization he knew was nearby, ignoring the human pounding at the back of his mind. His human counterpart only saw the worst part of being a werewolf, refusing to believe that there could be anything good about the creature he had been for most of his life. Moony knew it was only a matter of time before his human half finally accepted him, and finding their mate was the first step towards that acceptance. He slowed down as he entered the streets, head lowered to the ground so he could track the scent of his mate. Carefully, he worked his way to the right street, speeding up as he spotted the house that his mate's scent was coming from. As he approached the house, the man gained control over Moony long enough to whisper one word. Harry. Good. If the man already knew who their mate was, already recognized the scent as one he was comfortable with, perhaps he would be more willing to accept that Padfoot was not that person. Moony was already forced to lie dormant during the full moon, he would not allow his human to force him to ignore his mate as well. He would fight with everything he had to make his human recognize their mate. If Remus refused, if he continued to deceive himself into believing that the dog was his mate, Moony would force his way to the front of their mind, he would take over completely. While he was unmated, he found the human's dalliance acceptable, but no longer. Now they had their mate, the one person Mother Moon had destined to be with them. No foolish human connections could supercede that.

Moony found a window open on the ground floor of the house and wiggled into it, padding silently up the stairs to the room that the scent seemed to originate from. It was easy to ignore the wretched odor of cleaning products in a house that was so saturated in the sweet scent of his mate. The tickle in his nose made him want to bark in amusement because, where it once would have annoyed him, now it no longer mattered. He pushed the door open and growled quietly as the scent of blood assailed his delicate nose. Someone had hurt his mate, had made his mate bleed. He approached the bundle curled up on the bed and nudged it with his nose. His mate didn't wake up, merely squirmed under his thin blanket. Moony growled impatiently and cocked his head, staring at the boy. Not getting any reaction, he climbed on the bed and wrapped his body around the boy, lending his heat to the shivering bundle. His mate may not be awake to acknowledge him, but Moony refused to leave him now that he had found him. Laying his muzzle across his mate's neck, he watched as the dog came into the room, snarling when he stepped too close to his mate. Moony waited until the dog had retreated into a corner of the room before calming down, lowering his head and snuffling in the scent of his mate.

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><p>When Harry woke up the next morning, the first thing he noticed was the arm around his waist. That wasn't there when he'd fallen asleep the night before. The next thing he noticed was that when he opened his eyes, he was met with a wet nose in his face. Padfoot. Reaching one hand up to wipe the sleep out of his eyes, Harry yawned and blinked at the dog in confusion, grabbing his glasses off of the nightstand.<p>

"Siri? What are you doing here?" Sirius just looked at him and nudged the arm around his waist before looking at him again, his tail thumping against the carpeted floor. Harry craned his neck and looked behind him. What was Remus doing behind him?

"Siri? What's going on? I can't get any answers from you while you're Padfoot. You know I don't speak dog. Come on. Please answer me."

The black dog shook his head in amusement before shifting into a bedraggled man. Sirius Black stood up from the floor before casting a locking charm and silencing charm on the door. Running a hand through his hair, he moved back to Harry''s side, kneeling beside the bed and putting one hand on the mattress. He reached his other hand out and briefly cupped Harry's face before allowing it to drop back down to his side.

"I can't stay in this form long, pup. Moony might see me as a threat and we wouldn't want that. The last thing we need right now is for Moony to be upset."

"Moony? But Remus took his potion… He shouldn't be- Sirius, what's going on?"

Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his long hair, tugging on it to calm himself down.. "Moony broke through the restraints that the potion provides. I'm not sure how. But he did, and he ran straight here. When I came in, he tried to attack me before he settled down behind you again. He hasn't moved since. He hasn't done anything other than protect you while you slept all night."

Harry looked confused still and tried to sit up but was stopped by the heavy arm that tightened around him. A squeak escaped him and he looked over his shoulder at Remus's sleeping form, his brow furrowed as he frowned. When he realized that Remus was naked behind him, he blushed and turned away from the man to look at his godfather again.

"Pup, you need to hold still. I can't guarantee that Remus is the one who will wake up if you move too much. And if its Moony, with all of your injuries, I don't know what he'll do." Sirius's voice was calm and he reached a hand out to tangle loosely with Harry's fingers.

Harry had completely forgotten about his injuries. Somehow they didn't hurt as bad with the body pressed against his back. Not even the new word carved into his back seemed to hurt anymore. He looked down at the badly patched cuts on his legs and smiled when he saw that there were no new bloodstains on the bandages.

"Siri, why is Moony so attached to me all of a sudden?" It made no sense to Harry. Sure, he and Remus had been close when Remus was his teacher, but other than that, they'd had very little contact with each other.

Sirius started to answer but was interrupted by a gravelly voice behind him. The arm wrapped around Harry's waist tightened and pulled him up against Remus's bare chest, bringing a bright blush to Harry's cheeks. Remus leaned down and buried his nose against Harry's neck, speaking against his skin.

"You're my mate."


	2. Chapter 2

**Here we go with another chapter. It's my birthday and I can post if I want to.**

**I have quite a bit of this story written out, but it needs fleshed out with details and little things to make my chapters longer and more captivating. I'm hoping to update it, and Why Salazar Left at least once a week for the next month or so, until I've completely caught up with what I've already written. If you don't see an update once a week it's probably because we're moving to Louisiana this month and moving means that things get crazy and I can't update.**

**Enjoy this chapter, and the next one will come along soon enough.**

"You're my mate."

Those three words somehow managed to turn Harry's entire world upside down. At once he was both happy and devastated. He was Moony's mate. He belonged to someone; he belonged to Remus- well, Moony at the least. But Remus was with Sirius and Harry couldn't do anything to hurt his Godfather. Remus and Sirius had been together since their Hogwarts years, Harry couldn't steal Sirius's lover away from him. It was wrong. Stealing someone away from another person was a horrible thing to do.

"M-moony?" Harry carefully sat up, letting the werewolf's arm fall to his lap as he turned to look into the man's eyes. The eyes that were normally chocolate brown when Remus was in control were currently a light amber, indicating that the wolf was firmly in control of the situation. Harry gasped at the emotions that were evident in the wolf's eyes. Love, possessiveness, lust; they all flowed through the familiar amber eyes. Harry had never seen those emotions directed at himself. Sure, Sirius looked at him with love in his eyes, but not this kind of love. This was the kind of love he'd seen Hermione looking at Ron with.

"Mate? I'm your mate? B-but I thought- You and Siri- You love Siri-"

"Remus loves Sirius, loves him to the point of having fooled himself into believing that Sirius is our mate, but alas the foolish man is wrong. Sirius doesn't appeal to us as much as you, cub. Not even close. Your scent is intoxicating. Nothing could make us leave you. Mother Moon has given you to me. You are my mate."

Harry looked at the wolf sadly before turning his eyes to his Godfather. The guilt that he felt over taking Sirius's lover was visibly written throughout his hunched body.

"I'm sorry. Sirius, please don't hate me. I'm sorry." His gaze fell back to the tattered blanket and heavy arm that covered his lap. He couldn't believe this was happening. Without meaning to, he'd stolen his Godfather's love away from him. What was worse, it wasn't anything he could control. Remus was a werewolf; his creature would choose his mate based on the qualities that he found the most appealing. Even Remus had no say. Without doing anything more than turning sixteen, Harry had managed to completely turn the lives of the two people he cared about most in the world completely upside down. Harry felt tears fall down his face, although he stayed completely silent as he cried. He had hurt Sirius, one of the only people who cared about him. How could he do that to someone who loved him? The Dursleys were right. He was a worthless freak who tore apart everyone's lives with his freakishness. Only a freak would hurt someone who cared about him like Harry was hurting Sirius and Remus.

"Freak… I'm a freak. A worthless freak." Harry didn't realize he'd been vocalizing his thoughts until he heard twin growls, one from the chest behind him and the other from the man sitting on the floor. Sirius reached out and squeezed Harry's hand, his thumb stroking the skin inside the thin wrist.

"Harry-pup, stop talking like that. You're upsetting Moony. You aren't a freak. You can't control who Moony's mate is. You know that, I know that. I knew I wasn't his mate. Please, stop thinking of yourself like that. What Moony and I had was great, but I knew that it wouldn't last. I always knew that it would end if he found his mate, pup. Don't tear yourself apart over this."

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><p>Moony tightened his grip on Harry, his free hand coming to rest on his mate's shoulder. Hearing his mate talk about himself the way Harry was made anger course through the wolf. The only thing keeping him from attacking the stupid Muggles was the warm body in his lap and the scent of his mate filling his nostrils. Moony wouldn't do anything that would scare his mate away, keeping calm was the only way to avoid doing that. He shot a grateful look to Sirius when the other man spoke to Harry, sensing the slight calming effect it had on the boy.<p>

"Cub, the things those worthless Muggles have told you are not true. You aren't a freak. And if you keep talking like that, I will have to punish you. You aren't a freak. At all. I will never let anyone, even you, talk about you that way."

He felt his human pushing for control of his mind and gave it begrudgingly. Maybe Remus could convince Harry of the truth, if he didn't do something foolish instead. Reluctantly, the amber glow receded from his eyes, giving way to the warm honey gaze that meant Remus was in full control.

"Harry," the change in his tone of voice was almost as obvious as the man's attempts to disentangle his limbs from the small boy. Even the gentle prodding had Harry practically leaping off of Remus, ducking his head in embarrassment when he realized he'd been sitting on Remus's naked lap the entire time. "Harry, perhaps its time for you to get up. I hear the Muggles starting to stir and I wouldn't want you to get in trouble. Go do what you have to do. Sirius and I will be here when you get back. We'll talk then, I promise."

Moony growled as his mate left the room dejectedly. Watching the way the boy had scrambled away had saddened the wolf. Until he'd allowed his human to take control, his mate had been comfortably ensconced in his arms, soaking up the love and comfort the wolf was more than happy to give. Remus, though, had immediately turned away from offering that affection distancing himself from their mate. His human couldn't handle one simple situation with tact, no he had to go and send his little mate away. If he had the strength, he would've seized control again, but the night had weakened him too much. All he could do was sit back and hope that the foolish human wouldn't completely reject his mate.

* * *

><p>Harry rose from the bed and pulled clothes on over his fresh wounds. They had scabbed slightly, so it wasn't as painful as it had been to change the night before. His back turned to Remus and Sirius, he didn't see their reaction to the wounds that were bare to them for a few scant seconds. Neither man said a word at the torn flesh, but he heard Sirius suppress a gasp at the sight. A blush colored his cheeks. He had never wanted Sirius to see the things his relatives did to him. The last thing Sirius needed was to feel guilty that he hadn't been there to raise Harry and Harry had had to put up with the Muggles as a result. Sighing, he cast Alohorama on the locking charms Sirius had raised before exiting his room, refusing to look back at the men who still sat there. He couldn't bare to see the pity on Sirius's face or even meet Remus's eyes after the man had shoved him away.<p>

He'd known that Moony couldn't be right. There was no way he could be Moony's mate. Not when Sirius was around. The wolf must have gotten confused, perhaps because the boy he saw as his cub had turned sixteen. There must be another explanation. Sirius was the one Remus was supposed to be with, that much had been obvious since the first time Harry had seen them together in the Shrieking Shack. Remus and Sirius were inseparable. They had been since they were in school. It was a fact as much as Dumbledore's love of lemon drops was.

Dumbledore. Harry had completely forgotten about the Headmaster. He would agree with Harry, he just knew it. There was no way Dumbledore would believe that Moony had mated to the sixteen year old son of one of his best friends. Dumbledore might even know what it was that had Moony confused. Maybe he could write to the Headmaster and ask him to talk some sense into Moony. Even though the thought of someone talking sense into a werewolf was nearly laughable, Harry knew he had to do something. He couldn't be the reason for Sirius' broken heart, nor could he do anything that would make Remus feel guilty, which being mated to him obviously did. He would find a way to fix this so that Sirius and Remus could both be happy. He wouldn't do anything more to upset the balance that the two had managed to find with each other.

He trudged down the stairs to start breakfast for the Dursley's, hoping and praying that Dumbledore would be able to help him convince Moony that he was wrong. As he set about frying up some ham, he mentally composed his letter to the Headmaster. Once he finished his chores, he would slip outside and write his letter. The sooner the Headmaster was able to straighten this whole mess out, the better.

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><p>Werewolves mate for life. It was one of the first facts about his new life that Remus had learned when he'd first been bitten. There was nothing Remus could do to escape that fact. Fighting against the mating bond Mother Moon instigated would only drive him to insanity. His wolf had identified Harry Potter, his pseudo-godson as his mate, and no amount of wishing would ever change that. He could never be with Sirius again. The wolf wouldn't allow him to. He would have to be with Harry, a sixteen-year-old boy who hadn't even had a chance to live a life as a normal teenage boy. Once again, the curse of being a werewolf had affected someone Remus loved, a boy he had spent the past few years protecting as much as he could.<p>

The minute Harry left the room, Remus buried his head in his hands and groaned, his fingers twisting in his hair and pulling. Why did this have to happen? Sirius was supposed to be his mate. Sirius, who had experienced the same things he had, fought the same battles, been forced to grow up because of the same nightmares. Sirius understood the monster that lived inside him. He'd seen what it was like when Remus turned into a mindless killing machine. He'd stopped Remus from taking a life more than once. Sirius could handle the difficulties of being with a werewolf. He'd lived in the same darkness that Remus had dealt with since he was a child. Not Harry, sweet and innocent even though the fate of the entire wizarding world rested on his shoulders. Harry was his best friend's son, he had held the boy as a baby, had sworn to his parents that he would do anything it took to keep Harry away from anything bad that might happen to him. He'd failed in that, but he'd managed to keep the reality of his lycanthropy away from the boy. He'd been fighting since Harry's third year to keep the boy from seeing the horrible truth that came with being a werewolf. Harry wasn't supposed to be exposed to the darkness that crowded every corner of Remus's life. He was supposed to remain as innocent and carefree as possible.

"Remy, you shouldn't be so hard on him. It isn't his fault." The voice hit him like a bucket of ice water. He'd forgotten that Sirius was here, that Sirius would have witnessed Moony's possessiveness of someone other than himself. The thought of his best friend, his lover, seeing him clinging to a sixteen year old boy the way he had been made Remus flush, humiliated by the things his wolf had done. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. Not having control of the actions of his own body had always been one of the things he hated most about being a werewolf.

"Sirius, I'm so sorry. I- It was supposed to be you." His voice was gravelly from the change, as it always was after the full moon, and he coughed to clear his throat. "I never suspected that Harry might be my mate, I swear."

Sirius got up from his place on the floor and grabbed Remus's chin, forcing eye contact. His own eyes were blazing with indignation. His fingers dug into the sensitive skin on Remus's jawline but the werewolf forced himself to ignore it, focused on his best friend instead.

"Remus John Lupin you listen to me and you listen good. We both knew that I wasn't your mate. Yes, you love me and I love you, but we aren't meant to be together. You knew that when we started this all those years ago. And you knew that the minute you had a mate, I would step back. So don't you dare go hurting that boy. Its your job to protect Harry now, Remy, to protect Lily and James's pup. So do it. Don't feel guilty. You're Harry's mate. You have to keep my pup safe, Remus. Don't you dare reject him because of some sense of guilt or duty to me. I will never forgive you."

Remus looked into the ice blue eyes of his former lover, and smiled sadly. He should have known that Sirius, amazing Sirius, wouldn't let him turn away from Harry. The man would do anything for his godson. "He's just a cub, Sirius. He's completely innocent. He doesn't know how possessive I'm going to be of him, he isn't prepared for it. What if I lose control and do something to hurt him? Even now, even though I'm in full control of Moony, I want nothing more than to find him and mark him, claim him forever. What sort of life would that be for Harry?" He placed his head in his hands again, groaning. "I'm a monster."

* * *

><p>Harry had finished making breakfast for the Dursley's and was supposed to return to his room for the rest of the day, but he wanted to give Sirius and Remus privacy to talk. Once he was sure that his Uncle had gone out to the garage to wash his car and Dudley was engrossed in video games, he went out into the garden with a piece of paper he'd taken from his Aunt's notebook and a pen. Settling down behind the shed where his aunt wouldn't be able to find him, Harry called Hedwig and pet her once before focusing on his task. Carefully, he wrote out a letter to the Headmaster, hoping that the grandfatherly man would be able to help him.<p>

_Professor Dumbledore,_

_I'm not planning on asking to leave this time, I know you'll say no. I'm fine with staying here for the rest of the summer, it hasn't been as horrible as it could be, I suppose. But I do need your help. As you know, I turned 16 last night. Well, I guess because I'm of age according to magical creatures or something, any creature who I- bollocks I'm messing this all up._

_Sorry for using such foul language, Professor. I'm just really stressed._

_I'm Moony's mate. There, I said it. But we have to convince Moony that he wants Sirius, because Remus wants Sirius and I don't want to hurt either of them. Moony may be Remus's wolf, but Sirius is Remus's best friend and if Moony's misconceptions force them apart, I don't think Siri or Remy will ever forgive me. Please help me, Professor. I don't know how to go about convincing Moony he made a mistake without putting myself in danger. Is there any way he might have made a complete mistake because he sees me as a cub? That's possible, right? Please, find out what's wrong with Moony. There's no way I can be his mate._

_Respectfully,_

_Harry Potter_

Harry rolled up the piece of paper like he would a scroll and gave it to Hedwig, brushing down the feathers on the back of her head. He smiled as she nipped at his finger and hooted at him. "Hey girl. I need you to take this letter to Dumbledore for me. It's important that he get it as soon as possible, ok? I know you can do it."

Harry watched Hedwig fly away with a wistful smile on his face before he heard his Uncle calling for him. Figuring that he would have to do the dishes again or scrub the floors with a toothbrush, he prepared himself to do manual labor, rising up from his spot behind the shed and going towards the back door. Instead of manual labor, he was met with a fist to his jaw the minute he stepped in the doorway.

"That's for daydreaming in my yard, you faggot." Uncle Vernon laid a well-placed fist to Harry's stomach, causing the boy to double over in pain. Using his position and size as an advantage, Vernon forced Harry's body onto the ground where he began kicking the boy repeatedly, not caring if he drew blood or killed the boy.

"You are not to be seen, you ungrateful freak. How many times do I have to tell you that? You are not to be in the yard when it is light out. Nobody wants to see a poof like yourself out in the public where you could infect perfectly normal people like our Dudley. You will learn your-"

Uncle Vernon's tirade and kicks were both cut off by a low growl and the sound of Vernon's large body hitting a wall, cracking the plaster beneath him. The man made a garbled attempt at an outcry, but it was cut off by a menacing voice.

"You. Will. Not. Touch. My. Mate." Harry lifted his bloodied head off the ground to see Remus with his hand around Vernon's throat, ready to choke the life out of the blubbery man. His honey eyes were flashing red with rage, and Harry was afraid that he would kill Vernon. Not wanting Remus to get in any trouble, Harry tried to get his attention, reaching a hand out towards him.

"R-remy. I-" Harry blacked out before he could finish asking Remus for help.


	3. Chapter 3

**Another update for all of my lovely readers! Your reviews have all been read and are greatly appreciated.**

**A note: It may be a few weeks before I can post again. Real life demands priority and mine is currently in a bit of upheaval. I will update again when I can. This story, and my others, is not being abandoned.**

**October 13, 2014: My stories are all on hiatus while I move to Alabama. They will be updated when I have internet again.**

Inside the smallest bedroom of Number Four Privet Drive, Remus Lupin was deep in thought. The man had a great deal to think about. His life had been completely turned upside down by the revelation of his mate. Harry was so young, half his age. Could he really subject the boy to the reality that werewolf mates faced? As he was lost in thought, he noticed a change in the smells in the air. The smell of Harry's blood had once against drifted to Remus's nose, causing the man to rush from the bedroom upstairs to defend his mate, completely ignoring the cries of 'Remus wait!' coming from Sirius. He rushed into the kitchen, freezing momentarily at the scene that awaited him. Seeing the whale of a man kicking at his Harry had awakened Moony and shoved him to the forefront of their mind once more. Moony attacked the man, not willing to let such scum live.

The quiet sounds of Harry calling for his help stopped him, grounding the man and wolf both. They could worry about revenge later. No matter how angry the Muggle had made him, Remus knew that his mate came first, his mate would always come first. Remus dropped the man and turned to his mate instead. Harry was curled up upon himself, attempting to protect his vital organs from the blows his uncle had been dealing to him. Remus helped him to uncurl, stroking a hand down his cheek. Harry's pained expression sent twin shivers of anger and worry down Remus's spine.

"Shh. I've got you now, Harry. I won't let anyone touch you, cub. Come on, love, I've got you. I'm going to pick you up now, okay? Don't move." Cautiously, he gathered his bloodied mate in his arms and headed for the back door. The low moan of pain was bit back as Harry curled into his chest, clutching weakly at his robes. Sirius had followed him down the stairs and stood in the kitchen doorway, wand out and pointed at Vernon Dursley, waiting for Remus to tell him their next move. "Sirius bring Harry's stuff to Hogwarts!" He called the instruction as he left the house, disapparating in the yard.

He headed straight for Hogwarts. As a werewolf, he would be turned away at St Mungos, even if he did have the Boy-Who-Lived in his arms. Madame Pomfrey had always been willing to help him though, even when he was no longer a student. He appeared just outside the gates of the grounds, rushing towards the castle. Once he was at Hogwarts, Remus practically ran to the Hospital Wing, careful not to jostle Harry too much, calling for Madame Pomfrey as soon as he entered her ward. Seeing the woman leave her office, he placed Harry on a bed and sat in the chair next to it, one hand tangled in his mate's matted hair. He shot Madame Pomfrey a desperate look as the woman came up to the bed.

"Goodness." Madam Pomfrey tutted as she waved her wand over the boy, diagnosing all of the injuries that he had received. When she saw the final read-out, she paled, almost dropping her wand as she looked up at Remus. "I've seen quite a few injuries on Mr. Potter over the years, but these surpass the others by far. What on earth happened to him?"

"His Uncle was kicking him when I showed up. He has injuries that look like they're from yesterday too." Remus spoke in a low growl, the wolf evident in his voice. "I suspect he's been beaten several times over the past few weeks."

Remus was barely holding Moony back as Poppy scanned Harry and summoned potions to pour down the boy's throat. Seeing someone else tend to his mate had the wolf on edge, Moony saw it as a failure to care for their mate, an inability to be what Harry needed them to be. It was only Remus's trust of the Matron that allowed her to do her job safely. As Remus watched, she carefully turned Harry over, removing his shirt to assess the full damage his wounds had caused.

"Oh. Oh dear. This poor soul. I've never seen this before, in all my years as a Healer. Some of these are going to get infected. They don't look like they've been cleaned at all. You stay here and keep an eye on him, I'll go get some balm for these."

As Poppy hurried away, mumbling under her breath, Remus looked at the injuries that had Poppy so affected. He let a surprised gasp escape his throat. On his Harry's back were scars, old and new, depicting words. Freak, whore, poof, what had these people done to his mate? Some of these scars looked like they were years old, not from this summer. Harry had been suffering for longer than Remus had thought.

Seeing Harry's back, all of Remus's doubts went away. There was no way he could allow this boy to suffer anymore. He would do what Moony called for him to do. As soon as Harry was awake, he would mark him as his mate. No one else could protect his mate the way Remus could and it was obvious by the state of Harry's back that the boy needed someone who would look out for his best interests first. No matter what he had felt, and still did feel, for Sirius, he needed to put Harry first.

* * *

><p>Harry groaned as he woke up, feeling all sorts of new aches, although they didn't hurt as bad as he had expected them to. Maybe his uncle hadn't beat him as bad as usual this time. Opening his eyes, he could see white blurs all around him. So he wasn't in the smallest bedroom at Number Four, then. If he was, everything would have been dingy brown, not brilliant white. He felt around for his glasses, to try and figure out where he was, but his hand came in contact with human skin first. He grabbed on to the arm that rested on his bed, drawing attention to himself from his companion.<p>

"Cub, you're awake. Here." Remus gently placed Harry's glasses in his hand, allowing the boy to push them up on his face. Once he had them on, he looked past Remus, taking in their surroundings with cautious surprise.

He was in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. Wonderful. After all the time he'd spent here in the school months, he knew how much Madame Pomfrey hated seeing him here. She'd threatened to keep him a time or two because of the injuries that he'd had and the time that it took her to heal him. He'd hoped to avoid making Madame Pomfrey work any harder to heal him than she already did, but it appeared that fate had other ideas.

"Remus? You saved me from Uncle Vernon, didn't you?" Remus nodded, hand reaching out to cover one of Harry's. "Oh. Thank you for that. It could've ended up much worse if you weren't there." Harry beamed up at the older man, gratitude in his eyes, before looking down and mumbling, "I hope Dumbledore won't send me back."

The doors to the Hospital Wing swung open, revealing the wizard Harry had just mentioned, along with a very irate looking Professor McGonagall and Padfoot. The three made their way into the room, Dumbledore's eyes twinkling genially as he approached the row of beds. Padfoot ran up to Harry's bed, looking at Remus for permission before jumping on it and curling up next to the boy's feet, pressing his nose against Harry's ankle. McGonagall looked like she was ready to fight dragons as she took in all of the bandages that covered one of her lions, and Dumbledore smiled serenely, as if he was taking a walk in the park rather than dealing with an injured student. He didn't even look surprised to see Harry laying in the infirmary in the middle of the summer.

"Harry, my boy, it seems we can't keep you out of trouble, even in the summer time. It's refreshing to see young people who aren't afraid to get rough and tumble. So many children these days are coddled, they never get out and get into any sort of fun."

Remus growled. "Trouble? Albus, this is from abuse, not the acts of teenage tomfoolery. These injuries have nothing to do with Harry going out and having fun, an imbecile can see that. I had to pull his Uncle off of him this morning, and by the looks of things, the man has been hurting my Harry for quite some time. Whatever 'fun' your senile mind thinks my Harry has been up to, you're wrong."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, despite the harsh anger in Remus's tone. He popped a lemon drop into his mouth and folded his hands in front of himself, looking every bit the wise old wizard he was portrayed as.

"Be that as it may, my boy, Harry will have to return once he's properly healed. I'm sure that it was all a great misunderstanding. The boy's family does care about him. I'm sure that some outside stress was affecting his uncle. The man is probably worried sick that Harry has gone missing from home."

McGonagall spoke up, censure obvious in her voice, "Now Albus, do you really think that wise? I told you from day one that those Muggles would mistreat Mr. Potter and they have. How could you possibly think that sending him back there is the right decision? I hardly doubt that his uncle is nearly as concerned as you seem to think he is. Stressed or not, a loving guardian would never beat a child the way young Mr. Potter has been beaten. I insist that you do not send him back there." There were growls of agreement from Remus and Padfoot.

"It is the only possible decision for me to make, Minerva. The blood wards surrounding the Dursley's will keep Harry safe from the Death Eaters and Voldemort. We must keep Harry safe from them. If that means that his uncle is a little rough with him, then that is an unfortunate side effect, but overall, Harry staying there is for the greater good."

Remus stood up and approached the older wizard, looking down at him and growling again. His eyes flashed amber with anger as he bore down on the man most considered the most powerful wizard since Merlin.

"You will not be putting my mate back in that Merlin-forsaken pit. I won't allow it. The Ministry may consider werewolves Dark creatures; but we still have some rights. You cannot take my mate away from me. Harry is mine. You no longer have any say in where he goes or who he lives with. You never should have had that control to begin with. Harry is no longer your concern any more than any other student."

With that declaration, Remus turned back to Harry and climbed on the bed next to the boy, gathering him in his arms. Taking a moment to situate Harry on his lap, he took a few deep breaths, calming himself with Harry's scent. Once he was under control, he smoothed down Harry's ruffled hair before looking back up at Dumbledore and McGonagall.

"I suggest you find somewhere Harry and I can stay in the castle. I won't be leaving my mate."

Harry had watched the scene before him in fascination, not knowing what to do. No one had ever stood up to Dumbledore for him. He wasn't quite sure how it made him feel. Sure, the Headmaster insisted that he stay with his relatives, but he did trust the man. He'd trusted him for years, after all. At Remus's declaration, his heart had skipped a few beats before a feeling of guilt returned to him. If Remus was talking like that, acting as possessive as he was, it meant that the man had decided to leave Sirius because Moony made a mistake. Pulling at Remus's hand, he silently begged the older man to look at him.

"Remus, I can't. What about Siri? I won't do that to you. The two of you belong together."

Remus looked down at him and smiled softly. His cub was so foolishly selfless sometimes.

"Don't you even think about saying that, Harry. Sirius and I have already talked about this, and we've agreed this is the best decision for everyone. Mother Moon doesn't make mistakes when she finds mates for her children. I know that, even if I was unwilling to accept it. I've accepted it now, though. You're stuck with me, cub."


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm not entirely content with this chapter, but that's simply because my enthusiasm for this story is flagging. Hopefully you will enjoy it more than I did.**

**Lately, my attention has been completely drawn to my Harry Potter/Criminal Minds crossover. It's pretty awesome so you should check it out.**

**I have created a Facebook to keep people afoot of my updates. Simply search Eskimita Fanfics if you would like to be kept up to date/push me to update any one story.**

Several hours later, Remus and Padfoot accompanied Harry to the quarters that Dumbledore had begrudgingly added to Gryffindor tower. They were rather like the rooms for Head Boy and Girl, with a small common room that led to two bedrooms and a common bathroom. Remus immediately decided that he and Harry would be in one room, allowing Sirius to stay in the other. He doubted that Moony would let him sleep away from Harry even if he wanted to. Moony was feeling rather off balance at the moment.

They entered the rooms and Remus sighed in satisfaction, glad to be away from Dumbledore after several hours of gruelling questions. He watched as his young mate hesitantly walked around the common room, touching one or two things as he went. Sirius smiled at Remus before slipping away to pick his room, leaving the mates alone. When Harry's curiosity appeared to be appeased, he turned to face Remus, quirking his lips in a tired smile.

"Well, at least the Gryffindor colors are muted," he said quietly.

Indeed, the colors were muted quite elegantly, with only a pale red and equally pale gold decorating the rooms in place of the bright red and gold that graced the Gryffindor common room. It seemed that Dumbledore believed that as Gryffindors, they would want to be surrounded by the colors constantly.

"We can change it, cub, if you don't like it."

Harry shook his head absentmindedly and approached Remus, putting a small hand on his arm. Remus smiled and ruffled his hair.

"No, I like it. It's a reflection of us." He shook his hair out of his face and looked up into Remus's eyes. "Remy, are you really sure being mated to me is what you want? You and Siri-"

"Harry James Potter, listen to me. If Moony had thought Sirius was his mate, we would've been mated when we turned 16, but we weren't. Yes, I had tried to fool myself into thinking that Moony was just having a delayed reaction or something, but I was wrong. The minute you turned 16, Moony was able to recognize you as his- our mate. And I can't fight that."

Harry looked up at him, and Remus could see the apprehension in his eyes. He sighed inwardly; cursing Dumbledore for making sure his mate was brought up thinking he was nothing more than a sacrifice for the common good. Wanting to somehow reach Harry and let him know that he was serious, Remus brushed the boy's cheek with one hand, staring down into the green depths that so captivated both himself and Moony.

"Cub, I'm not running away from this, but I won't do anything that you don't want. If you don't want to be my mate, then that'll be the end of the discussion. It's your decision to make, not mine, not Sirius's, and not Albus Dumbledore's. Yours, Harry. If you don't want to be my mate, we'll figure out something to keep Moony at bay, I promise. I won't force you into this and neither will Moony if you really don't want it."

He could practically see the thoughts running through Harry's mind as his face filled with fear, then denial, and finally settled on hope. The battle raging inside Harry's mind was obvious to anyone who knew how to read his emotions. When he'd finished his internal crisis and settled on acceptance, the lines of tension immediately left his face. Inside, Moony let out a howl, happy that his mate seemed to accept that they were meant to be together.

"Y-you want to b-be with me?" Remus nodded. "W-what has to happen? Do y-you need to do s-something to affirm the bond or something?"

Remus nodded and led Harry to the couch, running a calming hand over his arm.

"Yes, cub. I need to mark you, to show any other Creatures that you're taken so that they maintain a proper distance." He stopped as the fear returned to Harry's face. Soothingly, he ran his fingers down Harry's cheek again. "Cub, its nothing bad. I'm not going to turn you or anything like that. But I need to bite you, and to ensure that my scent is on you."

"Okay. How do you do that?"

Remus pulled Harry in for a hug, resting his nose in the boy's messy mop of hair as his hands ran down Harry's arms and back. Finally, he pulled away slightly before burying his nose in the crook of Harry's neck.

"There. That'll do for now. Eventually, we'll have to… well, consummate the bond, but for now hugs will work."

Harry nodded before looking thoughtful again. "Is there anything else we have to do? Anything Moony needs me to do?"

Remus thought, and when he found the answer he grimaced in disappointment. "Moony needs you to run with him during the full moon. We'll have to work on finding your Animagus form. I won't let you out without it. I won't endanger you like that."

Harry jumped off the couch and grinned. "I already have an Animagus form! I wanted to show you and Siri anyway! Padfoot get down here!"

Sirius came bounding down the stairs from his room, wand out, looking for signs of danger. "What is it pup? Why are you yelling?"

"I want to show you my Animagus form, Padfoot. Professor McGonagall helped me find it."

Sirius grinned and sat on the couch next to Remus, nodding at Harry to show them.

With one final grin, Harry began to shift. Soon, in place of the raven-haired boy, a green-eyed red wolf stood, a lopsided grin on his face.

Remus stood and walked around his mate, observing all the different changes his Animagus form showed. His only tell that it was Harry was the black lightning bold above one eye. He ran his hand through Harry's fur, petting one ear in the process. Harry tilted his head into Remus's hand, whining softly, his tail wagging.

"It looks like you take after Lily when you're a wolf, cub. Now we just have to think of a name for you. What do you think, Padfoot? What should we name our cub?"

Sirius jumped up and walked around Harry too, one hand on his chin to give him a comical look of contemplation. "I don't know, Moony. He really looks like fire with that coloring doesn't he? How about Flame?"

Remus looked down at Harry and absentmindedly pet his ear again. "Flame… I like it. How about you, cub?"

Harry nodded his wolf head before standing up on his hind legs and licking Remus's face. Remus laughed and Harry jumped down to shift back into his human form, burying his face against his mate's chest. Sirius shook his head at the pair and headed back up to his room.

"Call me before dinner."

Harry stepped away and shifted from foot to foot in front of Remus, nervously wringing his hands.

"So now all that's left is for you to m-mark me? You should probably do that soon. I'd hate to be out and have a veela or something try to claim me."

Remus growled at the thought of a veela trying to claim his Harry and he pulled the boy close.

"You're right. Go up to our room. The common room isn't the right place to do this."

Remus watched as Harry walked up the stairs to their room, hoping that he would have the self-control to do what needed to be done without hurting his mate.

Harry sat nervously on the bed, waiting for Remus to come up to their room. Their room. It seemed so weird. Harry knew he liked men, had since he'd stumbled across Cedric Diggory with his shirt off during the Triwizard Tournament, but he'd never admitted it to anyone. Now, sitting alone on the bed he was meant to share with his mate, he couldn't help but think about the man.

Remus was attractive with his tawny hair and eyes that ranged from chocolate to amber, depending on how close the full moon was. And he was strong, Harry knew that from experience. Plus, he was smart and patient. Harry had never seen Remus lose his temper, not like Uncle Vernon or Snape did. If Harry was being honest with himself, Remus was probably the ideal man for him. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

He jumped in surprise when Remus opened the door. He'd been so deep in thought that he hadn't heard the older man ascending the stairs. Glancing up, he blushed before looking away from Remus, biting his lip.

"Take your shirt off, Harry."

Harry nodded silently and did so, his eyes returning to Remus's face as he awaited further instructions. Remus sighed and shrugged off his robe, laying it across the desk chair.

"Sit against the headboard. This will probably hurt, but you can't pull away. Moony will take it as a sign of rejection and he'll go crazy."

Harry nodded again and scooted back on the bed, pressing himself against the headboard. Remus approached the bed slowly, looking very much like he was fighting to control himself. Finally, he sat down next to Harry and ran a hand through the boy's hair.

"Whatever you do, hold still."

He pushed Harry's head to the side, exposing his neck. Pressing his face against the neck of his young mate, he inhaled the scent of him, the excitement and fear that he was exuding. Remus pressed light kisses from Harry's ear down to his shoulder and back again. As he felt Harry relaxing, he opened his mouth and nipped lightly at the spot he would soon mark.

"This will heal, but it will scar. Just stay calm, pup."

Finally, he did what his wolf was begging him to do and sunk his teeth into the crux of Harry's shoulder and neck. He didn't stop even after he drew blood. He just sat there with his mouth firmly attached to his mate, tasting the blood that flowed into it.

Harry almost jolted off the bed with the pain of being bitten. Soon that pain dulled, and he found himself growing hard at what Remus was doing. He groaned in pleasure as he felt Remus lap up the blood and seal the wound with his tongue.

"There, that should do it."

Harry looked up at Remus with lust-filled eyes, before pulling the older man down for a scathing kiss. His tongue probed incessantly, demanding that Remus open up to him. When he finally did, Harry hummed in victory, tracing the contours of Remus's mouth with his own. His hands reached up to pull Remus down on top of him. Just when he was about to break away from Remus's mouth and attack his neck, Remus drew back.

"No. Harry, we can't."

With those words, Remus left the room, leaving a perplexed and very turned on Harry behind.


	5. Chapter 5

**I wasn't going to update this today since I updated two stories in the past two days, but I'm in a good mood. I don't know when the next chapter of this will be up simply because I'm going to go nerd out at the NASA museum and I don't plan on writing for the next week. It'll be updated at some point.**

**Once more, if you want to read little snippets of story ideas I have, or receive updates on my stories, I have a Facebook page. Search Eskimita Fanfics and go ahead and add me.**

That night was the first time Harry had ever shared a bed with another person. Sure, he'd been sleeping in the dorms with the other Gryffindors for a few years but even on the nights when they all stayed up late, they all returned to their own beds to sleep. Sleeping with someone else in the bed was something that he hadn't expected to do for at least a few more years. It was a very interesting experience. They had both started out at the edges of the bed, not wanting to intrude on the other person's space. When Harry woke up in the morning, his head was on Remus's chest and he had one leg entwined with the other man's. Smiling, he felt a warmth settle in his stomach at the sight of his sleeping mate. Remus looked so much more relaxed in his sleep. He just lay there for a few minutes before finally sighing and moving to get up. Before he could move from the bed, Remus grabbed him and pulled him back down.

"Stay, Harry. You're warm."

Harry blushed and burrowed his head against Remus's chest again. No one had ever wanted him to stay with them the way Remus did.

"'m supposed to talk to Dumbledore," he said from his place on the werewolf's chest. He giggled as he felt Remus growl at him. "Don't do that, it tickles."

"I don't want you going. He's going to try and separate us. Albus always was infuriatingly nosy. If something doesn't line up with his 'greater good' he likes to pretend that it can just be ignored." Remus ran one finger against the scar of his bite mark, smirking when it caused Harry to shiver. "Wear a shirt that makes this visible. If there's anything that annoys Albus, it's knowing that his plans have been thwarted. Since you're already marked as mine, he can't separate us. It would get him in a great deal of trouble with the Ministry. They may not like werewolves, but no one sane would ever think to usurp a creature bond."

Harry nodded absentmindedly before burrowing back into Remus's chest. He wrapped his arms around Remus's waist and squeezed.

"I still have time. Sleep more." He smiled as he felt Remus's chuckle send shivers down his spine. If he could stay here with his mate, he'd miss just about anything else. This time with Remus was time that he could already tell he was going to treasure.

"Get up, cub. You can rest more later."

Harry groaned and climbed out of bed, grabbing his toiletries and heading to the bathroom after throwing a pout over his shoulder at the laughing werewolf. As he took his shower, Harry couldn't help but focus on how happy he was with Remus. He didn't care that the other man had been friends with his parents, that he was twice his age. Remus had never treated Harry like a kid like all of the other professors had. To Remus, Harry had always been an equal. Being Remus's mate was a better situation than he'd ever imagined himself being in. He'd always thought he'd end up with someone who'd grown up idolizing stories of the 'Boy-Who-Lived'.

When Harry approached the Headmaster's office, he uttered the password Skittles and headed up the moving stairs with a fortifying breath. He wasn't entirely sure what to think of the Headmaster now. Before he'd written to the Headmaster about Remus he'd had complete faith in the man. Now though, after seeing Dumbledore's attempt to return him to the Dursleys, Harry wasn't as confident that he'd placed his faith in the right person.

"Enter, Harry."

He pushed open the door and walked into the office, smiling as the older man's eyes twinkled. There was something about the Headmaster's jovial look that just relaxed Harry, made him want to tell the other man all his secrets.

"Harry, my boy, have a seat. I'd like to talk to you about this… situation with Remus, if you don't mind."

At that, Harry went stiff with apprehension. He wasn't sure why, but the way Dumbledore said 'situation' had him cringing away from the man. Harry tilted his head to the side, knowing that the top half of his mate mark would show underneath his hair. "What is there to talk about, Professor? It seems pretty straightforward to me. Moony recognizes me as his mate. There isn't anything we can do to change that. Remus doesn't plan to leave me and I wouldn't dream of leaving him."

The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes diminished and he pursed his lips at the sight of the mate mark. The look made Harry feel slightly sick, like he'd just spun for a long time and the world was still tilting on its axis.

"Be that as it may, you are still underage, both in our world and the Muggle world. You cannot possibly be the mate of a grown man. It would be foolhardy of me to allow it. Furthermore, accepting the mate bond would only put yourself and Mr. Lupin in jeopardy. With the Death Eaters and Voldemort at large, you are already a target. If word of your mating reaches him, Remus will be in just as much danger as you are. Now I know you don't want to do that, right?"

Harry blanched at the thought of Remus being in danger. He didn't want that at all. He didn't want any of his friends to be in danger because they were close to him. But he'd already accepted the bond and he wouldn't leave Moony to suffer in his absence. It wouldn't be fair to Moony.

"Sir, I respect your concerns, but if that's all you have to talk about, I advise that you take it up with my mate as it concerns him just as much as it does me. I won't make decisions for Remus that he isn't okay with."

With that, he stood and left the Headmaster's office, transforming as soon as the door was closed behind him. In his wolf form, Harry could hide the tremors that wracked his body as fear took over. All he could see was Remus's body, dead from the Killing Curse that had cost him his mother. Rational thought disappeared at the visualization. Flame ran through the castle, sadness abundant in his green eyes. Even Professor Snape stood aside as the wolf ran, not wanting to get in the way of the distraught wolf, regardless of it's small size. All the way to the seventh floor, Flame ran, not bothering to stop for the moving stairs or to change back into a human once he was in the right corridor. As he approached the Gryffindor common room, he growled at the Fat Lady, begging for admittance. She opened with a huff and a "Well I never" as he sped past her.

Flame didn't stop running until he was inside his own common room, where he lunged at a surprised Remus and nuzzled against his neck, a whine leaving his throat as he licked the salty skin in front of him, making sure his mate was alright.

Remus had been pacing the common room, mumbling under his breath, much to Sirius's amusement. He didn't like that Dumbledore wanted to talk to Harry without him. It wasn't right. Harry was his mate; all decisions about the boy's life should be talked about with him. Their lives were inexplicably twined together now. Something that affected one of them would affect them both. When his arms were suddenly full of red fur, he almost fell down, even with Flame's slight weight.

"Cub, what is it? What happened? Come on Harry, I need you to tell me what Albus said. Did he hurt you in any way?" A growl crept into his voice at the perceived threat and his arms tightened around the small wolf.

Harry transformed and moved to sit on the couch, taking a deep breath. "He said I put you in danger because I accepted that I'm your mate. He wants me to say no, to turn down the bond. He said that Voldemort and his Death Eaters are going to try and attack you because you're so close to me. I don't want to see you hurt. I don't want to see anyone hurt, but especially not you. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you because of me. What am I supposed to do Remy?"

Remus growled at the idea of Dumbledore trying to separate him from his mate. Even if Harry was young, a Creature bond was something not even the Ministry was brave enough to interfere with. Creature bonds were one of the few things that everyone in the Wizarding World considered sacred, something that no one would ever think to tamper with. He walked over to the couch and sat down next to the sullen teenager, laying a hand on Harry's knee.

"Harry, you didn't put me in any more danger than I was already in. I'm a member of the Order, remember? I've been recruiting rogue werewolves to our cause since you were just a baby. If I'm not already on the Dark Lord's list, I was going to be soon. Fenrir knows my scent, I'm sure he's already told the Dark Lord exactly who has been turning those werewolves against him. You didn't add to my danger at all. No matter what Dumbledore says, if something happens to me, it's because of me, not you. Never think that you're the reason something bad happens."

Harry turned to look up at him, tears brimming over in his eyes, "But I don't want you to be in danger. I don't want anyone to be in danger. Everyone I get close to could die because that bastard thinks he has something to prove. I don't want him to hurt you too. He already hurt my parents."

Remus hugged the boy close, pulling him onto his lap and rubbing his back. "I know, cub, but some things can't be helped. In times like this, no one is truly safe. If something happens to me, it isn't your fault, Harry. I know that you would never put someone else in danger on purpose. You don't have it in you."

Harry let out a whimper and clung to the older man, making sure that he wouldn't leave, until he fell asleep. Holding onto his mate, Remus couldn't help the sense of helplessness that came over him. He hated knowing that he couldn't do anything to keep his mate out of danger, that his mate had been a target for his entire life. It made Moony feel like a failure as a mate. As he watched Harry sleep, Remus swore that he would find a way to keep the boy away from danger, no matter what he had to do to ensure Harry's safety.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's the next chapter of Mated. I'd like to add, for all of you hoping that Remus will come to his senses soon, that Remus remembers very vividly growing up with James. Getting to a point where he's willing to accept that Harry is his mate and that means sleeping with him is not going to be easy for him, but it does happen soon.**

"That no good, meddlesome, manipulative bastard." Sirius slammed the door to the common room open, throwing off his robes and kicking them across the room as he ranted. "Who does he think he is making decisions for everyone like they have no self control? Last time I checked there was no king of Wizarding Britain."

"Good morning to you too, Sirius. What did the Headmaster do this time?"

Sirius stopped just inside the entrance to their common room and looked down at his Godson, his stormy face immediately forming a charming smile as he moved to the couch and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Oh, pup, I didn't see you there. Don't you worry about what he's done, it won't be happening. Remus and I are going to take care of everything and there won't be anything for you to worry about, I promise. We've got this under control."

As Sirius dismissed whatever had happened, Remus stormed into the room, barrelling past him and grabbing Harry to pull him up off the couch. Harry let out a meep at being manhandled, bracing his hands on Remus's forearms as his mate pulled him close.

"Come on cub. We're not staying here. We need to pack your stuff now." He pulled a confused Harry behind him up to their room and started throwing clothes into the boy's trunk. Harry stood beside the bed and watched as the furious werewolf stuffed things into the trunk, not bothering to place them in any specific order. As Remus's mood failed to disappear, Harry grew more anxious, reminded, as he rarely was that his mate was a dangerous creature if he wanted to be.

"Moony, what's going on? Where are we going if we aren't staying here? Will I be coming back for school? Please talk to me Moony." Harry tried to keep the anxiety out of his voice, but he couldn't help the bit that bled through. Remus had always been calm around him. Seeing the frantic movements of the other man now had thrown him off balance. Harry had never seen Remus this ruffled, not even when he forgot his Wolfsbane in third year.

Remus continued to throw things into Harry's trunk and growled out an explanation without looking over at his mate's face. "The Headmaster has seen fit to try and assign Siri and I to leave the country on Order business. He's trying to separate us on the grounds that if I'm here you won't concentrate on your training. So, Sirius and I are taking you somewhere where we can train you and the nosy old man won't try to control your life. I refuse to allow you to be separated from me, especially when we have not yet completed our bonding."

Harry stood there, shell-shocked. Leave Hogwarts before the school year even started? Leave his friends behind? He couldn't do it. Hogwarts was the only home he'd ever known, he was happiest here. Just the thought of being forced to leave Hogwarts made Harry whine quietly, reaching over to clutch the footboard of the bed to keep himself standing strong.

"Remus, no. I want to stay here. What about Ron and Hermione? You want me to leave them? How can you ask me to leave my friends? How can you ask me to abandon my schooling? Why can't you just refuse to go? Tell the Headmaster that you've decided to leave the Order, or something." It was the first time Harry had disagreed with something Remus wanted them to do, up until now he'd been confident that his mate knew what was best for them. In this instance though, Harry was sure that Remus was wrong. He couldn't really expect Harry to give up everything he'd ever known, everything he'd ever loved.

Remus stopped packing Harry's things and pushed the boy up against the door with a growl. Looking down, he could feel Moony pushing to gain just a bit of control. He allowed the control, his eyes glowing slightly with the power of the werewolf. When he spoke, it was in a dangerous and cutting voice.

"Cub, we're going. You will listen to me. I am your mate and your Alpha. You will not question what I say or what I do. It is not your place." His voice held the tone of an Alpha who was to be obeyed. Without knowing it, Harry moved his head to the side, baring his neck in submission. His eyes, which had been riveted to Remus's face flicked down to focus on the older man's shirt. "I know what's best for us and we need to leave here so that Albus cannot control you any longer. You will accept that, am I understood?" Harry nodded his acquiescence, shoving his disappointment down. Remus leaned down and bit Harry's mate mark, renewing his position as Alpha. Harry let out a needy whimper in response, the arousal he got from the bond flaring despite his upset.

"Yes Remy. Where are we going?" If Harry's naturally lively voice sounded duller than it ever had before, Remus didn't notice. He was too focused on the fact that Harry had agreed to do what he ordered.

Remus grinned at the boy, Moony growling in satisfaction in his head. Their mate was such a good submissive, listening to his Alpha without arguing. He kissed the messy black hair before stepping back and returning to his packing. "Romania."

Two days later, Remus, Sirius, and Harry were settling down in guest rooms that had been added on to Charlie Weasley's home at the dragon reserve. A Fidelus Charm had been placed on the house so that neither Dumbledore nor Voldemort would be able to find the three men. As they unpacked their belongings, Charlie stood in the doorway telling them of what their duties would be while they lived on the reserve.

"And Harry, I have a dragon who would be very interested in seeing you. After all, the last time he saw you, he was only the size of a puppy."

Harry looked up from the drawer he had been rummaging through, grinning in excitement. He'd been rather morose for the past few days, mourning the departure from Hogwarts. Nothing that Remus or Sirius had said had made him break out of his sadness. "You still have Norbert? Awesome! Can I go see him Remus, please?" He looked at his mate with pleading in his emerald gaze.

Remus chuckled, happy to finally see Harry smiling again. "Don't do anything stupid, cub." He placed a kiss on the young man's cheek and watched as Harry bounded out of the room. Turning to face Charlie, his smile faded into a protective scowl. "Charlie, if you don't look out for my mate, you will regret it."

The redhead nodded his acquiescence, subtly swallowing around the knot that had formed in his throat when the other man had turned to face him, and took off after the teenager.

"Harry! Wait for me!" The teenager stopped and looked at Charlie with impatience in his eyes. He was practically jumping up and down from excitement, switching his weight from foot to foot.

"Well, come on! You're walking slower than Remus and he's almost twice your age!"

Charlie chuckled and a mischievous glint entered his eyes. "What will Remus do if I tell him you said that?"

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, but I would, little brother. Without the twins here to get you in trouble, someone has to take their place. That honor falls to me."

Harry groaned and stomped his foot impatiently.

"Come on, I want to see Norbert!"

"Norberta," Charlie corrected as he pressed his wand against the gate to the Welsh Green's enclosure. He opened the gate and stepped through, holding his wand against it to keep it open for Harry. "She's a girl. We were surprised too."

Harry slammed his mouth shut and followed Charlie. Inside the enclosure, the five-year-old dragon lifted her head in acknowledgement of the Wizards. Harry stood there staring at her in awe, finally completely still.

"She's one of the calmest dragons we have on the reserve. She usually isn't any- Harry what do you think you're doing?"

The boy in question was approaching the dragon with one hand held out towards her snout.

"Hello, Norberta. I was there when you hatched." His voice was quiet and he shivered when the dragon gave a rumble in reply. Looking into her eyes, he spoke again. "Do you remember me, Norberta? You were very small the last time I saw you, just a hatchling."

A gasp came from behind him, and he whirled to see Charlie standing there with his mouth hanging open. Right as he was going to ask Charlie what he had done wrong, he heard a heavily accented female voice address him.

"Who are you, Little Speaker? It has been centuries since my kind has heard that language spoken by a human." Harry turned around again to see the dragon staring at him with a question in her eyes. He swallowed and turned back to Charlie.

"I spoke Parseltongue?" Charlie nodded dumbly. "She speaks it too. Not as clearly as a snake, but I understand her. It's sort of like listening to Viktor Krum speak English." Charlie nodded again, shock and awe in his eyes. Harry looked at the dragon again and put his hand out to her, tipping his head to the side.

"May I pet you?" The dragon pushed her snout against his hand in reply. Harry smiled and started whispering to her, idly petting her snout as he spoke and smiling whenever she would growl out a reply. Charlie stood near the gate, transfixed by the sight. After a few minutes of conversing with the dragon to Charlie's surprise, Harry turned to go back to the house.

Once he entered the door of the house, he was all but attacked by a frantic Remus, his eyes glowing amber, signifying Moony's control. Moony ran his hands over Harry's body, burying his nose in the boy's neck and growling.

"What happened to you? Why do you smell like you've been attacked? What did the dragon do?" Moony pulled Harry close and wrapped his arms around him, squeezing as though Harry would disappear if he let go.

"Moony, stop. I'm fine. I just talked to Norberta and she let me touch her snout." Harry pushed his way out of Moony's arms and righted his shirt, shaking his head at his overprotective mate. Stepping back, he ran a hand through his hair.

The werewolf stared at him with disbelief in his eyes. "You touched a dragon? Cub-" He cut himself off with a growl and bent to nuzzle Harry's mate mark. "Don't you dare put yourself in danger like that again. I won't lose you."


	7. Chapter 7

**There is sexy times in this chapter. It isn't labeled because I don't like author's notes in the middle of chapters, but it is there.**

Harry woke up with a start, and looked over at the sleeping form of Remus before taking a deep breath. The dream he'd been having left him panting and hard, aching for release. He looked over at Remus once more before sighing and letting his head fall back against the pillow. As his breath slowed down from the quiet panting the dream had caused, Harry closed his eyes, doing his best to lock his frustration away.

They were mates. Harry had always thought that being mates would mean having some sort of sexual contact, but other than the one searing kiss the day Remus had first bitten him, there was nothing. Harry was starting to feel as though the older man didn't actually want to be mated to him at all. He'd known from the beginning that Remus would've rather been with Sirius, but for some foolish reason he'd thought that Moony would be able to outweigh Remus's say in the situation. Obviously he'd been wrong. His mate would rather have someone else than lay a hand on him.

Harry rolled over so that his back was to Remus and scooted to the edge of the bed, lying rigidly on the mattress. He wouldn't leave the bed because it was guaranteed that Remus would wake up if he did, but he wouldn't push himself on the other man by plastering his body against his. If Remus didn't want him in that way, he'd be sure to maintain a proper distance. Determined to stay in his current position the rest of the night, Harry fell into a restless sleep.

When he woke up the next morning, he was still at the edge of the bed, but he could feel an arm snaking around him to pull him closer. He held his body still and kept his eyes closed, hoping Remus would assume he was still asleep. He was still frustrated from the dream he'd had, and he really didn't want to talk to Remus right now.

"I can hear your heart, cub. I know you're awake. Now come back here where you belong. There's no sense in you sleeping on the edge of the bed." Remus's voice, as always, calmed Harry down slightly, affection warming him. He loved the sound of Remus talking to him; the older man's voice took on a quiet rumble that was reserved for Harry alone.

Harry allowed Remus to draw him closer, but remained rigid in the older man's arms. The urge to relax against his mate was overwhelming, but he wouldn't. Not when Remus didn't really want him. They stayed like that for some time before Remus sighed and pulled away to get out of the bed.

"We better get up. There's no telling what sort of pranks Sirius will try and pull on the dragon handlers."

Harry shot his mate a half-hearted smile and crawled out of bed to join him in stopping Sirius from angering dragon handlers. The last thing they needed was for Sirius to cause some sort of chaos that would put their continued stay here in jeopardy. Harry forced his slight anger at Remus back and focused instead on the happiness that thinking of his godfather brought him. He would spend the day with Sirius, that would cheer him up.

* * *

><p>There was something wrong with his cub. Remus couldn't place exactly what it was, but since they'd arrived in Romania, Harry wasn't his usual exuberant self. No longer did Remus wake up to a tangle of limbs every morning. No, now he woke up to find Harry lying rigidly at the very edge of the bed, closer to being on the floor than he was to being on the mattress. Every morning, Remus would pull him back up against him, only for Harry to remain unresponsive until Remus got frustrated and rose for the day.<p>

Gone too were the smiles that Harry had taken to shooting him during the day as he worked with the dragon handlers. Now, every time Harry glanced over at him there was a sad wistful look on his face and he always looked away as soon as he noticed Remus staring back. Harry wouldn't even speak to him unless he was asked a direct question. It was almost like Harry was doing his best to pretend that Remus didn't exist, that they weren't mated.

Finally, Remus was sick of the cold treatment his mate was giving him, and he pulled Sirius aside to ask him what to do. Sirius had a tendency to think more like a teenage boy than Remus did, so maybe he'd know what was going on in Harry's mind since Remus had no clue at all.

"He won't even look at me unless he thinks I'm not looking, Padfoot. And when we go to bed, he lays on the very edge and he won't relax at all. Its like he's turned into some sort of statue. When I try and bring him back near me, he doesn't even move. What do I do?"

Remus and Sirius were sitting on a bench outside Charlie's house, watching as the dragon handler taught Harry the few defensive spells strong enough to repel dragons. The boy was eating them up, learning everything as fast as he could. The only thing that both Remus and the dragon handlers refused to allow Harry to do was fly with them, even if he could talk to them. The idea of seeing his mate on a dragon had Moony howling in outrage.

"Talk to him, Moony. He's your mate. You're supposed to be inseparably close. With the full moon a week away, you need to fix this. You know what'll happen if your bond hasn't been consummated by then. Harry might not survive something like that."

Remus ran a hand through his hair and looked over at his best friend. The man was completely different than the boy he'd fallen in love with during their Hogwarts days. This Sirius had an air of maturity to him, maturity that made him the ideal person for Remus to confide in. Azkaban had taken away Sirius's childish immaturity without completely destroying his playful spirit. If anything, Remus loved this grown up Sirius more than he'd loved the prankster that he'd been back in the day.

"You're right. I know you are. I just don't want to scare him away. After everything Harry's been through, he deserves rest. I don't want to force him into this any more than I already have. He's only sixteen, Siri."

Sirius put his arm around the werewolf and pulled him closer, resting his head on the other man's shoulder. The physical contact helped to calm the werewolf down, and he relaxed into the embrace, thankful for the ability to seek comfort from his friend.

"Moony, Harry loves you. Even if he doesn't fully understand what this bond means, he loves you. Don't doubt him. He doubts himself enough as it is. He may be sixteen, but he's more mature than you give him credit for."

Remus wrapped his arms around his friend and nodded. Sirius was right, as he usually was lately. He needed to trust Harry, not doubt him. With the full moon so close, he and Harry needed to consummate their bond. He decided that they would consummate their bond that night so that Harry wouldn't be in any danger when he ran with them the next week.

* * *

><p>Harry was supposed to be practicing his defensive spells with Charlie, but when he saw Remus and Sirius embrace out of the corner of his eye, he faltered and Charlie's tickling hex hit him. He broke down in peals of laughter until Charlie cancelled the hex and called it a day. As soon as the tickling stopped, Harry's face fell and he hurried to cover that fact from Charlie, purposely shaking his hair into his eyes so his emotions would be hidden.<p>

Harry trudged into the house, ignoring the calls of his mate. The image of Remus and Sirius wrapped in each other's arms was burned into his mind and it was all he could do to keep from crying. Once he reached their bedroom, he grabbed a bag and threw some clothes into it before transforming into Flame, grabbing the bag in his teeth and running out of the house. He shot straight past the group of people standing outside the house, hurrying into the woods that led to the edge of the dragon reserve. The sounds of people calling after him could be heard for miles, but he refused to stop. If he could get off of the reserve's land then maybe he could get away. He ran faster as soon as he realized Padfoot was following him. His Godfather may be fast, but he was faster.

Eventually, after crossing at least four creeks and doubling back twice, he'd lost his Godfather and reached the edge of reserve land. He found an abandoned cave and decided it would do for the night, he could continue his journey in the morning. He would find a town and go from there, find somewhere to live where no one could find him. Exhausted, he transformed back to his human self and curled up with his bag as a pillow. He fell asleep to thoughts of Remus and Sirius wrapped up together, of Remus abandoning him. He didn't even notice the tears that covered his face.

* * *

><p>Remus was frantic. He wasn't sure what had cause Harry to run away, but he had to find him. He couldn't let his cub spend the night out in the wild. He could feel Moony pushing at him, trying to get him to run after their mate and bring him back safely, even though he knew he should stay here and wait for word from Sirius. When Padfoot returned and said that he'd lost all traces of Harry, Remus had to hold himself back from attacking him, forcing himself to take a deep breath to calm down. Instead, he turned to Charlie.<p>

"What happened? Why did he just run? Did you say something that upset him?"

Charlie shook his head. "He was practicing defensive spells and looked over at you and his shield dropped. Then he just ran."

Sirius picked up his head, shock in his eyes. "He looked over at us?"

Charlie nodded. "He was practicing shields and he'd been doing great, but when he saw you, his shield dropped completely and my hex hit him. It was like he had just given up."

"Fuck. Remy, I know why he ran away."

Remus looked at his best friend and raised an eyebrow. Whatever Sirius was thinking, Remus couldn't guess it just by looking at him. He waited for Sirius's answer with a slight growl.

"You hugged me. How would that look to an insecure 16 year old whose mate won't do anything beyond kiss his forehead?"

Remus groaned and hit his head against the back of the couch. He hadn't thought that Harry would take his actions in a negative way, but it was obvious that his mate was more insecure than he thought. Looking back at Harry's behaviour the past few weeks, it made so much sense. Harry had been acting like Remus had rejected him, like he thought Remus didn't want him. He had to make this right.

Remus grabbed a cloak and ran outside, focusing on the image of Harry and disapparating on the spot, following the trail his magic told him would lead to Harry. When he reappeared, he was standing outside a cave and his heightened senses could tell that Harry was there. He rushed in and almost fell to the ground in relief when he saw his little mate curled up on the floor of the cave, one hand holding on to his bag. There were tears streaking down Harry's face and the boy was shivering from the cold.

Carefully, he wrapped the boy in the cloak and picked him up in his arms. Harry moved slightly before burying his head into Remus's chest. A happy growl left Remus's throat as he held the boy close, doing his best to warm him up without waking him.

"You foolish boy. Don't ever scare me like that again."

Holding on tightly, he Apparated back to Charlie's house. He carried Harry into their room and tucked him into the bed. Lectures could come later. Right now his mate needed sleep. Casting warming charms on the boy, he lay down next to him and wrapped his arms around him. He wouldn't give Harry a chance to run away from him again.

* * *

><p>When Harry woke up, he noticed that he wasn't on the cold stone that he'd fallen asleep on. Rather, he was on a bed and there were strong arms wrapped around him. Remus. He groaned internally and tried to go back to sleep before the older man caught him. He still didn't want to speak to his mate.<p>

"It won't work, cub. I know you're awake. And you have a lot of explaining to do. Come on, look at me."

Harry lifted his head slightly and looked at Remus with one eye. The older man looked worried, not angry. Thinking that he couldn't be in too much trouble if Remus was only worried, Harry sat up, a bashful blush spreading on his cheeks.

"Would you like to explain why you ran?" Harry shook his head. He really didn't want to talk about that if he didn't have to. "Cub, you need to explain yourself. You almost threw me into a panic because you ran away. I can't let anything happen to you, and not knowing where you are means that I can't protect you. Tell me, Harry."

The tone of the Alpha came through in Remus's order and Harry knew he had no choice but to explain why he had run away. He swallowed and looked down at his hands. It had all made so much sense when he'd ran, but now he couldn't help but feel that he'd been foolish.

"I just thought that if I wasn't around anymore, you could be with Sirius again and you would be happy again. It's obvious that you still love him."

"What made you think that, cub?"

"You hardly ever touch me. But when you're with Siri, you always have a hand on his shoulder, or his elbow, or you're hugging him. I know you still love him, so I was giving you a chance to be with him without me getting in the way." He looked up quickly before ducking his head back down. "I just wanted you to be happy."

Remus sighed and pulled his foolish mate into a hug. "Cub, I'm sorry. I wanted to give you time to adjust, time to decide if you really wanted this or not. I wasn't pushing you away. I don't want to be with Sirius still, Harry. I want to be with you. You're my mate."

Harry looked up at Remus, the uncertainty shining in his eyes. Remus chuckled and grabbed his chin lightly. He stroked his fingers down the side of Harry's face as he forced the boy to meet his gaze.

"Cub, I'm sorry," he repeated.

He pulled Harry to him again and kissed him, just a gentle press of lips before pulling away again, leaving his hand on Harry's cheek.

Harry frowned and touched his lips lightly. "Remy… could I have a… another kiss?"

Remus smiled at the insecurity on his cub's face before kissing him again. This kiss was immediately different. Rather than just a light press of lips, this kiss was passionate. Remus moved his lips over Harry's, his tongue swiping across the boy's lips to beg for entrance. As soon as Harry opened his mouth, Remus thrust his tongue in, running it along side Harry's. He heard a groan that matched his own and gently leaned over the boy, causing Harry to lie down on the bed once more.

Rolling so that his young mate was underneath him, Remus ran one hand down the boy's chest, resting it on his hip. Harry groaned into the kiss again, sending vibrations down Remus's spine. The werewolf's fingers grabbed on to the hem of Harry's shirt and pushed it up, exposing the toned stomach and chest. He trailed his hand up, tweaking one nipple and revelling in the gasp it produced from his young mate.

He broke his mouth away from Harry's and bent down over his mate mark. He traced the scar with his tongue, before sinking his teeth into the other man's neck. Harry's body bucked off of the bed and into his, rubbing their erections together. Remus let out a growl and looked into the emerald eyes that were glazed over with lust.

"I was going to punish you, but now… I have something else in mind." He pulled Harry's shirt off completely and ripped his off as well, joining the rumpled shirt that was already on the floor.

"Remus?" The lusty tone in Harry's voice had both Remus and Moony howling out in joy.

"Hush, cub. Just relax and enjoy this."

Harry nodded his head, and watched the older man kiss a path down his stomach. When Remus reached the top of his boxers, he let out a gasp. Remus sent him a grin and pulled the boxers away from his erection with his teeth. When the boxers were pulled completely off, Remus sat back and gazed at his lover's body.

There wasn't a single ounce of fat on Harry's body. In fact, if Remus was honest with himself, the boy was far too skinny. But he was toned. His chest and stomach were sculpted like a Greek statue and his thighs were rock hard. Remus groaned just looking at him. Quickly, he pulled himself off the bed to finish disrobing before covering the boy again.

"You'll tell me if it hurts?"

Harry nodded and Remus returned to kiss him, mapping out his mouth again. One hand found its way into Harry's hair and the other stroked down the boy's erection and ball sac before settling on the pucker hiding in between the boy's legs.

Harry let out a gasp as Remus pushed his finger against his hole, wiggling against the new sensation. As Remus's finger pushed in, he felt the burning, but it only increased his arousal. He pushed down on Remus's finger, drawing it completely into himself.

"Want you, Remy." He pushed against Remus's hand again, desperate for movement.

"If I don't prepare you, it'll hurt you, cub."

"Don't care. Want you now."

Remus let out a growl and summoned a vial of lube. When he started pouring the lube on his fingers, Harry knocked his hand away and poured the lube on his straining erection instead. Harry wrapped one hand around Remus, making sure that his erection was completely covered before pulling his hand away and pulling Remus on top of himself.

"Please Remy," he whined.

Remus growled again and thrust into the boy, grunting in satisfaction when he heard Harry's hiss of slight discomfort. He stopped for a minute, allowing Harry to adjust to the length filling him. When Harry started to move against him, he thrust again, pulling out completely before slamming back in to his mate. He could feel Moony fighting for control, so he gave it, allowing the wolf to claim his mate at long last.

Harry made delicious little gasps and panting noises as he was impaled, writhing wantonly underneath the older man. When he thought he would explode if Remus didn't touch him soon, the man did, wrapping one hand around his arousal and the other in his hair. He could feel Remus pulling his head to the side, exposing his mate mark.

Moony dug his teeth into Harry's mate mark as he came, letting out a growl of satisfaction. He pulled at the boy's erection twice before Harry came too, keening his pleasure.

As Remus regained control, he pulled out of his mate and curled up next to him, one arm snaking around the boy and pulling him close. The last thought he had before he slipped into sleep was, "Mine."


End file.
